Sunday, January 18, 2009

Therapy News

Well, some very exciting therapy news has come about within the last week. Addy's occupational therapist at Children's Hospital was waiting until she turned 20 months old to administer the Peabody Developmental Motor Scales test. Addy has had this test several times in the past since she was 7 months old. There are six subtests involved, but the OT just focuses on two areas, which are grasping and visual motor. Of course since Addy was young, she has scored significantly lower than her normal functioning peers in the area of grasping and the visual motor area has been her strongest area.

So last week, the OT gave Addy the test. I sat and watched in utter amazement. Many of the tasks that she was asked to do, she was actually getting right. Block building, puzzles, bead stringing, writing and folding paper were some of the tasks, just to name a few. The following therapy session, we went in for Addy's test results. To everyone's astonishment, Addy scored an age equivalent of 34 months in grasping and 36 months in visual motor. She is only 20 months old. Even the OT was blown away. Within the past several months, Addy has just really taken off in many areas, including her fine motor.

So, the sad news is that Addy got discharged from OT at Children's Hospital, however she remains having OT through early intervention. I spoke with the OT from early intervention and she has no plans of discharging Addy. We actually have Addy's IEP this upcoming Tuesday. Addy's OT goals there will be changed to reflect working on increasing the speed of doing activities and utilizing her hand function to help improve her gross motor skills. I know that I said that it was sad news and it many ways it's happy, but also sad. Therapy has been our life for the last 2 years and we were very connected to her OT. The good news is that she is going to see Addy back in the summer to make sure she isn't showing any regression and to work on any news areas that might crop up.

So, just after giving me the news that Addy would be discharged, the OT wanted to do a quick feeding evaluation and dressing evaluation with her. So, I have to be honest here. I was a little scared about the dressing because my focus has been on so many other things with Addy, that I haven't even attempted dressing. Being so behind in her physical development, I knew that dressing would be difficult and we just hadn't started that area yet. So, as scared as I was, I sat and watched again in amazement. The OT told Addy "take off your shoes" and Addy took off her shoes. Then she said, "take off your socks" and Addy proceeded to take off her socks. This part she did need minimal help with. Then came time for the pants. With physical help to stand, Addy took off her pants and then went on to do her shirt. I was so amazed that I think I sat there with my mouth wide open. Just goes to show what sponges kids are.

Now that she was naked except for her diaper, the OT took her into the feeding room and put her in a highchair. She wanted to eval her spoon and fork use, which Addy is doing decently with. Then she asked Addy to drink from an open cup. Again, I got scared because I have yet to ask her to do this either. First drink went all down her because I think she expected there to be a lid on it. Next 4 drinks, she did without spilling a drop. She even continued to eat her applesauce with one hand and pick up the cup with the other and drink one-handed without spilling. I'm just not sure where all this came from, but way to go Addy!!!!!

Friday, was a too cold to go to school day, so Addy and I stayed home in the warmths of the house and played all day. At one point we were playing with alphabet blocks. I heard Addy say the name of a letter that I didn't think she knew, so I proceeded to hold up a block one at a time and she named almost every letter of the alphabet. Again, I was amazed. Makes me feel kind of dumb, that I didn't even know my own kid knew her alphabet. Keep up the good work Addy!

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I'm the wife to a great guy and a mother to a child with special needs. Follow our journey through life and the daily happenings of two daughters: Addison Christine, our oldest, who has a diagnosis of Arthrogryposis Multiplex Congenita, Klippel Feil Syndrome and a Seizure Disorder and Breslyn Anna, our youngest, just recently born into our family.